Which should you say? Everyone brought his notebook;
Everyone brought her notebook;
Everyone brought his or her notebook;
Everyone brought their notebook;
Everyone brought their notebooks.
Folks, this point is controversial and rather highly emotionally charged. Of the choices, I prefer the first. With the push of the ERA, I might be in for some trouble from the ladies. The first would certainly be appropriate at an all-boys school. Likewise, the second would work for an exclusively female institution or group. I don't find the third to be wrong, but it sounds stuffy. I don't care for the fourth entry because the number changes from singular to plural. The fifth stresses the confusion, because it sounds as though each had several notebooks. Again, I like the generic use of "his" in this situation. I suggest, however, a practical solution that can often be employed in the above situation. Say, "All brought their notebooks." That's right--use the consistent plural when possible. I do realize that the last example opens itself to the thought that some students did indeed possess more than one notebook, but generally there should be no harm in that allowance.
About Me
- GrammaRita
- I was born Jewish and only recently converted to LDS. I wasn't that much into religion until I became convinced of the true church. My only sibling is a sister who is a CPA. My father was the general mgr. and treasurer of his company for most of the approx. 30 years he was with it. Before I was born, my mother worked for awhile at RKO studios in Los Angeles. I received a B.A. in math from Vanderbilt and an M.S. in mathematical statistics from Stanford. Since then, I've taught, announced on radio, done baseball public address, sold, and been a casino dealer (since '94). My wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary 8/23/08. We have a stepson two states away; and we care for 5 cats, not to mention various ferals that come by.
No comments:
Post a Comment